Lavoy Allen: "I enjoyed it"

Sardonic

10/11/2006

With commitments from Justin Sofman Corey Chandler, and Earl Pettis, Rutgers head coach Fred Hill has made great strides in addressing his backcourt needs in his '07 recruiting class. Now he and his staff have been hard at work on the recruiting trail seeking to bring in much-needed frontcourt reinforcements. How do the Scarlet Knights stand with a prospect from the greater Philadelphia area ...

Lavoy Allen has seen his stock rise in recent months as much as any player in the country.

It won't be easy for the Rutgers to land fast-rising senior Lavoy Allen. The 6'8 forward/center from Pennsbury HS has spent most of the last several months on coach Ron Lowry's Team Philly repeatedly outplaying bigger and more well known opponents. Now that he has become well known himself, the competition for his services has become intense. Allen states that in addition to Rutgers, Georgia, Kentucky, St. Joe's, Temple and LaSalle comprise his list of suitors. He stated that he would soon be taking a visit to Georgia, and is reportedly a scheduled attendee for Kentucky's Midnight Madness festivities.

However, RU is far from out of the picture. When asked about the Rutgers coaching staff, Allen stated that, "I've gotten real close with them. We're pretty tight". He says that he has no favorite at the moment, but that Rutgers is indeed a real possibility. He was a visitor at the RU football game at Ohio, and told SOR that he had a very good time. "I enjoyed it", he said.

It would also appear in Lavoy Allen's case that his recent meteoric rise is a trend that is likely to continue. Unlike most other highly regarded players that have been playing ball since grammar school, Allen states that he's only been playing since the 9th grade. He said that he is more used to playing with his back to the basket, but adds that, "I've been working on my face-up, and I've been getting better at it". He also added that it doesn't particularly matter what style of play - be it up-tempo or a more deliberate pace – his future team plays.

As for staying close to home or going away, Allen said that would not be a factor in his decision. What are the factors is the chance for immediate playing time, how comfortable he feels with the current players and the surroundings, and the quality of the education he will receive. On all three counts, Rutgers seems to be in good standing. With Byron Joynes, Frank Russell, and Adrian Hill all graduating, Allen would indeed see immediate and significant minutes. He spent most of his visit being hosted by Anthony Farmer, JR Inman, and Marquis Webb, and stated that he got along quite well with them, as well as the rest of the team. And as for the value of an RU education, perhaps David Stern can inform him of that.